This case study examines two distinct keywords for a online hemp-derived dispensary, focusing on the terms “THCa Flower” and “THC Syrup.” The data highlights the strategic efforts, timelines, and outcomes that led to achieving and sustaining the top position on Google for both high and low-competition keywords.
Reaching #1 for “THCa Flower”
Goal: Achieve a top position for the highly competitive search term “THCa Flower.”
Metrics:
Timeframe: 12 months
Organic Clicks: 42,420
Organic Impressions: 401,357
Backlink Investment: Over $10,000 across 8 months
Strategy & Timeline:
The campaign for “THCa Flower” was a long-term, sustained effort that required significant investment to compete in a saturated market.
- July 30, 2024: The campaign was initiated with the launch of a new, fully optimized website and a dedicated page for THCa Flower. Concurrently, the backlink campaign commenced to build authority and trust signals from external sites.
- September 10, 2024: Approximately six weeks after launch, the page began to gain significant traction, moving up in the search results.
- October 1, 2024: The page successfully broke into the first page of Google, demonstrating the initial success of the on-page and off-page efforts.
- October 29, 2024: Within a month, the page had climbed into the top 3 results, indicating a strong positive response from search engine algorithms.
- Two and a Half Months of Bouncing: The following months were marked by significant rank fluctuations, a common challenge for highly competitive keywords as the page battled for a stable position among established competitors.
- January 12, 2025: The rank stabilized, securing the number 2 position.
- April 11, 2025: After a sustained push, the page achieved the coveted number 1 position.
- May 17, 2025: The position was re-secured and has been held consistently since, a testament to the long-term effectiveness of the backlink and content strategy.
Reaching #1 for “THC Syrup”
Goal: Achieve a top position for the term “THC Syrup.”
Metrics:
Timeframe: 16 months (campaign ran for 4 months)
Organic Clicks: 3,477
Organic Impressions: 50,089
Strategy & Timeline:
The campaign for “THC Syrup” demonstrated a much faster time-to-market, likely due to a less competitive search landscape.
- March 1, 2025: A new collection page was created and optimized for the term. The page began ranking almost immediately, highlighting the power of initial on-page optimization.
- March 21, 2025: Just three weeks after creation, the page reached the first page of Google.
- April 2, 2025: A backlink campaign was started to further solidify the page’s authority.
- July 2, 2025: The page hit the number 1 position. It has been sustaining this position since, confirming the success of the targeted, swift campaign.
Key Takeaways and Conclusion
Both campaigns demonstrate the critical role of a dual-pronged SEO approach: meticulous on-page optimization and a dedicated backlink strategy.
Competition Dictates Time: The “THCa Flower” campaign required a substantial investment of time and money to overcome entrenched competitors, resulting in a 12-month journey to the top. Conversely, the “THC Syrup” campaign achieved the same result in just four months, indicating lower competition and a more direct path to success.
Backlinks are a Game-Changer: The consistent investment in backlinks was the primary driver for sustained success. The backlinks were strategically spread across many collection pages and the homepage with the main goal of increasing overall Domain Authority (DA) and individual Page Authority (PA). The overall $10,000+ backlink investment was crucial for the long-term ranking stability of the THCa Flower campaign, and the “THC Syrup” campaign’s backlink efforts helped solidify its early gains.
Established Brand & Competitive Pricing: Beyond technical SEO, the brand’s established reputation and competitive pricing were crucial to success. These factors drove organic engagement, conversions, and positive user signals that reinforced the site’s authority in the eyes of search engines.
On-Page Matters: The “THC Syrup” page’s overnight ranking is a powerful example of how a well-optimized page can quickly get picked up by search engines, especially in a less competitive space.
The successful campaigns for “THCa Flower” and “THC Syrup” show that with a strategic, data-driven approach, it is possible to dominate search engine results, regardless of the level of competition.
